Miss Iggy in Thessaloniki

The White Tower of Thessaloniki used to guard the sea walls of Thessaloniki. It eventually became a prison and place for execution, thus getting the name "Blood Tower." The tower got its current name when it was whitewashed by a convict in exchange for his freedom in 1890.

Now it serves as a museum. Entrance is free!

That's why you have to line up.



Only 70 persons are allowed to be inside the tower at once.


Miss Iggy especially loved these pots and jars on display!

happy halloween!

can you smell what the witch is brewing? miss iggy hopes it's chocolate-flavored. haha.

miss iggy and mangoes

the Philippines' National Fruit. so revered for its heart-shaped glory!

miss iggy's first snow!

miss iggy got a snowfall surprise just three days before halloween. what started out as rain later turned into a freezing snowshower!

new jersey residents were unprepared for this early wintry weather in october. the wet snow caused the roads to be slushy, making it dangerous to drive.

miss iggy was suddenly reminded of halo-halo and leche con hielo after this.

miss iggy and sardines

miss iggy and the most well-known sardine brand in the philippines, 555 Sardines!

atlas statue at rockefeller center

the atlas statue at the rockefeller center in new york stands right across st. patrick's cathedral along 5th avenue. it is the largest sculptural piece in rockefeller center reflecting "art deco" style and is supposed to be a companion piece to the prometheus statue.

in greek mythology, atlas was a titan who was punished by zeus and was made to carry the heavens on his shoulders.

instant food, Filipino-style!

champorado

pancit palabok

when once it used to take long hours of standing in front of the stove, stirring and cooking with love, now takes only minutes to prepare. it's love in little packages, when one is longing for comfort food in the most desolate of places, metaphysical or otherwise.

fall foliage#2

miss iggy wishes everything would fall into place...

radio city music hall

miss iggy apologizes for this photo that seems culled from "the chronicles of BLUR-nia."

however, she wants you to know that radio city music hall is a popular new york entertainment venue which is home to "the rockettes"--stars of the annual holiday show "the radio city christmas spectacular." it's as much a holiday tradition as seeing the giant christmas tree at the rockefeller center.

miss iggy and adobo condiments

Datu Puti, the Philippines' most famous brand of vinegar

Silver Swan Soy Sauce, our most famous brand of soy sauce, made from fermented soy beans

laurel at paminta (bay leaf and pepper), prime spices for a wonderful serving of adobo!

check out the recipe for adobo here.

what's up, duck?

miss iggy learns about the birds and the geese at parks lake in rockaway, new jersey.

miss iggy ♥ ugly betty

ugly betty was grinning at miss igorota from this billboard at toys r'us in times square, so she posed for a photo. the popular tv series' second season was released on dvd last month.

hmmm....bet you can find it in quiapo, too! hehe.

"new york's finest"

with the NYPD, CPR stands for "courtesy, professionalism and respect."

interesting piece of trivia from a snapple bottle cap--real fact #388:

"the first person in the US arrested for speeding was a NYC cab driver."

another cool snapple fact: snapple was born in the big apple! greenwich village area, to be exact.

kiss from a rose

"There is so much a man can tell you,
So much he can say.
You remain,
My power, my pleasure, my pain, baby..."

-"Kiss from a Rose" by Seal.

fall foliage#1

featuring the color yellow....

saks fifth avenue

this is an old photo (from summer, actually) with the old miss igorota doll at the saks department store on 5th avenue, new york. she looks blurred here, which best hides her tattered state.

saks fifth avenue is a high-end department store right next to st. patrick's cathedral and close to rockefeller plaza (the reflection on the window shows that) whose shop windows are a visual delight to tourists come christmas time. this store was born in new york and was originally called "saks and company."

pier 17

miss iggy reached pier 17 at south street seaport, where she can either shop at this mall or hop on a ferry boat to see the new york city waterfalls: a public art fund exhibit by olafur eliasson. the exhibit ended on oct. 13th.

the ferry boats can take you on a cruise to see the manhattan skyline or even to nearby statue of liberty. there are also ships docked here, one of them being a museum.

south street seaport museum

the south street seaport museum can be reached via the 2, 3, 4, or 5 subway trains to fulton street station. you then walk a few blocks towards south street to find this tourist attraction by the hudson river and close to the brooklyn bridge.

this museum showcases the history of this maritime commercial district in the southern tip of manhattan island. this area also has several shopping stores in the old buildings that still stand on south street.

j. crew flagship store

miss igorota thinks of trying on some threads at the j.crew store in south street seaport in manhattan--the very first of its chain of stores that opened right here in 1989. this store will be 20 years old next year!

j.crew identifies itself as an "iconic american brand known worldwide for its sophisticated, fun clothing and accessories to live, work, play and even get married in."

dyesebel sighting

mural on a building along fulton st. in downtown manhattan close to south street seaport.

look, she found nemo...and he has feet!

woops, here you'll notice that miss iggy's baby has "escaped."

art jam

Miss Igorota in front of the Museum of Art History in Ringstraße, Vienna. Quite interestingly, the museum is right across the Museum of Natural History, which looks exactly the same from the outside.


Miss Iggy decided to jam a little with some musicians on the street.

a side trip for cider

miss igorota decided to stop for apple cider at a roadside farmer's market in sussex county, new jersey where straight-from-the-farm produce such as corn, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, squash and the veritable beverage of autumn: apple cider are for sale. this particular spot sold apple cider by the pint, half-gallon and gallon containers. miss iggy went home with a half-gallon worth $3.50.

mum-ma mia!

and now we pause for a few flowery moments this fall, featuring...mums! our backyard and front steps are a breeding ground for these lovely autumnal blooms that come in different colors. here are two of such shades. they also come in white, yellow, red and magenta. they also last a long time in a vase.

high point state park map

a-hiking we will go

miss igorota stumbled upon the hiking trail entrance at high point monument. she's impressed that it's also a ski slope for winter.

hello kittattiny

high point monument is part of the kittattiny mountains that stretch across eastern pennsylvania and northwestern new jersey.

the word "kittattiny" is of native american origin meaning "endless hill" or "great mountain."

view from the top

miss igorota thinks the telescope is posing for the photo, too!

at the foot of high point monument in sussex county, new jersey are a few telescopes to help you see across the mountain views. the location offers a perfect vantage point for autumn-hued landscapes surrounding it.

high point monument

miss igorota is proud to have reached the highest point of elevation in the entire state of new jersey at high point monument located in sussex county.

the monument sits on top of a mountain at 1,803 feet. it was terribly chilly there when she went that she felt underdressed. the view was spectacular, though because she could see across port jervis, new york, pennsylvania and the rest of sussex county, new jersey.

more high point photos coming up soon....

steel pier

they claim that the steel pier in atlantic city is what coney island is for new york. the steel pier is a small amusement park on the boardwalk right across the taj mahal casino. there's only a few rides in it: a carousel, a roller coaster, this ferris wheel, and others.

there's plenty of games where people can try their luck winning these huge stuffed toys for prizes. conniechiwa really wanted to take home one of these cookie monsters.

miss igorota at tropical hut hamburger

tropical hut hamburger used to be the leading burger chain here in the philippines. they still serve yummy food though.

here is miss iggy with burgee:

such a plump, round boy that one is.

carousel ride

miss igorota looks longingly at the carousel ride at the steel pier in atlantic city: a boardwalk attraction for families.